Talking Bird
by dellappatca
Summary: From now on, I'll take care of you." Drea closed her eyes, smiling softly, "Those words make me warm." "That's because we're family now." Riku X OC. Follows the manga's story line.
1. Dearly Beloved

The light of a lone candle flickering on a table was hardly enough to illuminate the large, dark room. Beside the candle lay an open book that had long since been abandoned, the pages worn and bent from age. A passing breeze made the flame dance as a door slammed shut.

The dull clack of heels against the marble floors resounded through the lengthy corridor as a young woman made her way towards the large doors ahead of her. With a soft hand, she pushed back her fiery red hair as one of the many pipes protruding from the wall let off a cloud of steam.

The doors creaked as she forced them apart, and she stepped through to the outside world, a sudden gust of wind blowing her hair back. She closed her emerald green eyes, relishing the chilling sensation that tickled her face as she stepped from the shadowed shelter of the large castle she called home.

She licked her pink lips slightly, opening her eyes to the stunning view from atop the citadel. The girl sighed, a slight smile on her face. This was her second favorite area of the whole castle, second only to the chapel where she trained daily.

Beside her, an ant like creature danced back and forth, its beady yellow eyes darting from her to the sky. She looked down at the creature as it brushed its round head against her leather boot.

The girl sighed, stepped from the wall, and followed the creature down the old brick walkway. Overhead, her teacher's crow circled, letting out a raspy caw as it swooped towards the girl. The bird let out another shrill cry, landing on her shoulder as the redhead tightened her ponytail.

"Ah, you have arrived, my pet." The green faced witch smirked as the girl neared. "Proceed." The redhead nodded, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply.

It came to her almost as naturally as breathing, or even living. In fact, she was such a natural at it, she wondered why Maleficent had her train each an everyday with the basic arts.

The very first day, she learned fire was her favorite. It just came to her, there was no way she could describe it properly. With fire, she didn't have to think about it. It was an extension of her body, or her _mind_. And Maleficent knew. This girl was nothing short of a prodigy, as far as magic was concerned.

_How convenient that she fell into my hands. With her abilities, I shall have the princesses in no time. _ Maleficent thought slyly as she watched the girl move a trail of fire through the air. The witch smirked to herself and preceded to glide towards the teenager. "My pet, I think it's time for you to think about allowing me to expand your abilities." The girl flicked her eyes to the sorceress to show attention, extinguishing the flame.

Maleficent faked a smile, reaching out to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You have so much talent, why let it go to waste?" It was at that point that she felt something. The air had stirred and a new thickness had settled. A sudden urge to run to the window over took the girl, and she took flight, seeking the highest vantage point her curious fingers could curl around.

"Where are you going, my pet?" Maleficent called, watching with slight interest. The redhead chose to stay silent, leaning out of the room. The aura was coming from the rising falls. Was it a person? Whoever or whatever is was held hollowness. One that felt vaguely familiar to her. "My pet?"

The girl jumped to the chapel floor and hit the ground running, ripping past the witch in attempt at leaving as hastily as possible.

She wasn't sure what to expect as she nimbly jumped from rock to rock, but when she finally laid eyes on her treasure, she froze. It was a boy. A boy was certainly not what she planned to see. His back was turned to her, and he had long hair, but she knew it was a boy.

Half of her told her to turn around, to ignore him and return to the chapel. The other half was intrigued. She had never met anyone other than Maleficent, and that anyone that she hadn't met was a welcome break from the someone that she had.

Before it registered in her mind exactly what was going on, she took a step forward and leaped onto the rock that housed him. The noise caused him to turn and they locked eyes.

Initially, they were both stunned. It took several minutes for either of them to talk. He didn't expect anyone to be here, she still wasn't over the conflict of staying or going. A slight breeze picked up their hair, and for a moment, she couldn't hear anything.

She was transfixed. Her tongue had swelled, and her vision blurred; She felt lightheaded and slightly nauseous. He stepped towards her, "Who are you? Are you okay?" When his hand touched her shoulder, she regained consciousness.

It was then that instinct took in. Her body told her she was being attacked by a foreign entity, and she did what anyone would have done. She countered.

The silver haired boy sat on the ground sourly, glaring at the girl as she stood beside him. "Aren't you going to say sorry?" He snapped, narrowing his eyes.

"Sorry." She repeated, not knowing what the word meant.

"You sure sound sorry." He shot bitterly as he held the cut from her heel forming at his cheekbone. She looked away, lowering her gaze from his cheek. "Anyway, where is this place?"

"Here." She answered.

"No, I mean, it's name." He clarified sarcastically.

"He called it Hollow Bastion." She answered as the boy walked past her to the rock's edge. "He says it's my home."

"You live here?" The newcomer asked, curious as to who this "He" was. The girl nodded, leaping onto the next level of rocks. "So, I finally made it to an outside world.. I wonder if Kairi and Sora are here." She turned to look at the castle, her eyes getting a listless glaze. "Oh hey, what's your name?" His voice brought her back to reality. "I'm Riku."

"Riku.." She repeated, looking down at the ground before speaking. "He calls me Drea, so you can too, I guess.." The girl answered. Riku's eyebrow rose, "Although, Maleficent calls me 'Pet."

"What do your parents call you?"

"My what?" She asked, leading him to the platform that would carry them to the castle. He stopped mid-step and looked at her. He could tell from the look in her eye that she wasn't joking with him.

"Your mom and dad? The people who raise you?" He asked, getting a shake of her head in response, "Are you an orphan?"

"A what?"

"Someone who's parents died."

"I'm not really sure what 'parents' and 'died' are, but Maleficent 'raises' me. He put me under her studies when I first woke up."

"Woke up? You mean, when you were born?"

"I don't know what that means."

Riku crossed his arms over his chest as the wind from the platform's movement tousled his hair. "What about Him? That guy you keep talking about?"

"He talks to me when the moon is awake. I've never seen him when the moon is asleep, so I don't know what he looks like." Riku furrowed his brows. Drea must have amnesia. "We're here." The sound of Drea's voice pulled his mind back.

The castle was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. It felt very steam punk, but held a regality to it. The architecture seemed almost Gothic, but not quite, and every room had a perfect echo to it.

"My room is below the castle." She spoke, leading the boy up to the Chapel. "I like to spend my time up here, though. It makes me feel less hollow." Riku looked over at Drea as she clambered onto the crenellations of the castle. She sat with her legs hanging over the edge and stared out at the horizon. Riku stepped into the indentions of the battlement, leaning against the rise that Drea sat on.

"Hey, Drea." Riku spoke as they gazed out at the landscape. It was a slightly windy day, but the sun was shining brightly to provide more than enough warmth. The skies were relatively clear and she could feel the sizzle on her bare skin. He didn't seem to mind it though. In fact, he seemed pretty used to the harsh rays of the sun.

"Mm?" She asked, not looking away from the limitless expanse. He hesitated before licking his lips awkwardly.

"You.. Really don't remember anything?" Drea glanced over at the boy before shaking her head.

"I don't have anything to remember." She answered. "I've only been awake to see the moon 92 times."

"You've only been awake for three months?" He asked, making her stand.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Riku looked away, not sure how to respond. He'd never imagined there'd be a language barrier like this. "Riku…" She spoke after about five minutes of awkward silence, "Will you teach me?"

The silver haired boy glanced over at her. Drea's vivid green eyes were half closed as she gazed longingly out at the horizon. He sighed to himself, and then too watched the skyline. "From now on, I'll take care of you."

Drea closed her eyes, smiling softly, "Those words make me warm."

"That's because we're family now."


	2. Night of Fate

"What are you doing?" Riku asked as he entered Drea's room, spying her at the table in the center of her room. She looked up at him as he pulled over one of the velvety-red stools and sat beside her.

"I'm writing in the book He gave me." She answered, looking over at the boy. "When I woke up, He said to write in it every moon."

"A journal." Riku responded, looking down at it. The pages were lined, but she disregarded them as she continued to scrawl symbols and squiggles in the pages. "What language is that?"

"Theirs." She answered, making Riku smile at her vagueness. "Maleficent can't read it, but I know what they're saying. I've read all their books."

"So, what are you writing about?" He asked, leaning his arm on the table, watching the girl as she intently scribbled in the book.

"You." She answered and paused, pointing to one of the symbols. "That one is your name. See? And this one is mine." He took the pen from her hand and under her version of his name, he wrote "RIKU", and under her name, he wrote "DREA".

"That's how you write it in my language."

"I've seen that one." She said, smiling. "It's what Maleficent uses. Do you and her come from the same place?"

"No. I'm from a tropical island." He answered, setting the pen down. "But it was destroyed by the Darkness, and now I'm searching for my friends, Sora and Kairi."

"What's 'friends?" She asked, closing her book and turning to face him, ready for a story.

"A friend is someone you're close to."

"Close?" She repeated, "Like, how far away?"

"No, no, not distance close. Relationship close." He tried to explain, "Like, you and me. We're friends."

"I thought you said we were family." She asked, getting confused.

"No, you're right. You can be friends with your family."

"You're not making sense."

"I know. I can't explain this properly." He sighed, looking away.

Drea smiled, cupping his face in her hands, "You lost your friends to the darkness, right?" He nodded, looking her in the eyes, "Then I'll bring them back to you."

That night, Drea crept past Riku's room, making her way up to the chapel. Her breath fogged in the cold air as she clambered up the stone. When she climbed as high as she could get, she sat against the castle, staring out at the dark, star-spotted horizon.

"You know, you should really try to get some sleep." Drea looked up as the man stepped from a portal of darkness. "It's not good for your health." He sat down next to the girl, handing her an ice cream bar.

"What's this?" She asked, taking the ice cream from him.

"It's called ice cream. You eat it." She did as he said and took a large bite from the bar, "But it'll give you brain freeze if you-"

"My head!" She cried.

"Stupid. I told you to…. Just breathe out some hot air." She exhaled, feeling her headache going away. "You have to eat it slow."

"It's so cold…" She sniveled, taking a smaller bite.

"It's good though, isn't it?" Drea nodded, looking the treat over before taking another bite. "It's called Sea-Salt."

"You said it was ice cream.." She looked over to him.

"Sea-Salt is the flavor of ice cream." He explained. "Like, you could have ice cream that's flavored like bananas."

"What's 'bananas?" she asked.

"Never mind." He sighed. She nodded silently, setting the stick beside her. "So, how have you been, Drea? I haven't come to visit in a while."

"I'm alright. Riku's been with me this week, so I'm not alone anymore." The redhead informed. "He comes from a tropical island. I don't really know what that is, but he says I would like it there. What do you think?"

"Tropical islands are a little too sunny for me. You might like it, though, since you like to play outside." The man said, finishing his ice cream as well. "How did he get here?"

"The darkness ate his world. He lost his two.. friends… Have you seen them?" She didn't offer him any description of them, so he shook his head, "Oh. I'm going to look for them soon."

"I really don't want you to leave, but I know you're going to anyway. So when you do leave, stay with the Keyblade Bearer."

"Keyblade?"

"He'll protect you." She hugged her knees to her body, humming her compliance. "Even when Riku can't."

"How will I know?" He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against his body. She sighed, closing her eyes. He ran his gloved fingers through her loose hair.

"You just will. Now, try to get some sleep, Drea. You've got a long day ahead of you." He whispered into her hair. He didn't have to tell her twice; The security of his arms combined with his relaxing scent made her lose consciousness rather quickly. He watched her sleep for a moment, "Just let your light grow."


	3. A Very Small Wish

"So, you really think you can find them?" Riku asked as he followed the girl through the halls. He had been living in the castle for about a week now, but he still tended to get lost in the upper parts of the castle with out Drea's guide.

"If they've been in the darkness, then I can." Drea nodded, looking back at the boy. "I just need Maleficent's rune."

"Maleficent's rune?" He repeated as Drea pushed open a large set of doors.

"Mhmm. It gives me the power to see into the darkness. Maleficent makes me use it for her because, for some reason, the darkness can't touch my heart." Drea explained, leading them into a dark room.

"Ah, you've arrived." Maleficent turned to the two as they entered. Riku stepped closer to Drea. He didn't trust the witch at all. During the entire week he spent in Hollow Bastion, he made it a point to not go near Maleficent unless he was forced.

"Are you ready?" Drea asked, standing next to the giant stone rune, her hand resting on the rim as green mist danced around it. Riku stopped by her side, peering into the green abyss. She grabbed his hand, "I can only find one of them at a time, so pick who you want to find first." Riku nodded, closing his eyes, "Now imagine them."

Drea felt an energy swirl into her arm from Riku's heart. "Per mihi via est ad urbem flebilis; Per mihi via est ut eternus flebilis; Per mihi via inter populus lost." She chanted, the rune glowing an intense, ethereal green. "Justicia instigatus meus sublimis Sator; Partum mihi divinus Omnipotens, altissimus Sapientia quod primal Diligo." Riku shifted his hand, lacing his fingers with Drea's as a steady wind blew from the rune. "Pro mihi illic erant haud partum res, Tantum eternus, quod EGO eternus permaneo. Totus spes relinquo ye quisnam penetro in!"

A twister of green energy spiraled from the depths of the rune, swirling around the two teens and swallowing them whole. The room melted into space as Riku opened his eyes. They were standing on nothing, and comets and planets whizzed by their heads until the room focused on a single planet.

From there, the planet grew larger, and more details became available until Riku could see the very people on the streets. "Sora!" He exclaimed, spotting the brunette. "Drea, you did it!" The boy let go of Drea's hand, leaning closer to the projection of his childhood friend, unknowingly stopping the energy flow between Drea and himself.

The break in energy flow shattered Drea's concentration. She fell to the ground, the sudden cut off draining her of her own strength. As her knees his the floor, the projection released the two and retreated into the Rune once more.

"Drea!" Riku exclaimed as she landed stomach first on the floor. "Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling at her side. The boy wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lifted her light frame, panicking when her eyes wouldn't open.

"She's just tired." Maleficent spoke, easing Riku's worry. "You cut the energy flow to her so suddenly, her body had to quickly compensate, leaving her drained. She'll wake up soon."

Riku, deciding to trust the witch's words, cradled Drea in his arms and stood up. He walked past the sorceress, not catching her gaze, and exited the room.


	4. Friends in my Heart

Riku sat next to Drea as she rested on her bed. His fingers trailed softly over her face as she slept. It had been at least two hours since she had fallen unconscious, and he hadn't left her side. However, only about thirty minutes ago had Maleficent left the room.

When he brushed his fingers over her cheek again, she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open slowly and glanced around the room before focusing on Riku's face. "How are you feeling?"

She reached up and grabbed his hand, holding it gently. "Did we find your friend?"

"Yeah." He smiled softly, helping her to sit up. "You did good."

"Are you leaving?" The two turned as Maleficent entered the room. Riku and Drea looked at each other briefly.

"How can we?" The boy asked, "I came here purely by accident.."

"We can use a corridor of darkness." Drea answered, "If we stay together, the darkness shouldn't be able to touch your heart, either."

He looked to her, "You mean, we could have left the whole time?" she nodded, "And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't ask." She stated, reaching for the Evoker's Headband sitting on the night stand beside the bed. Riku shifted out of her way and stood.

"Whatever. I didn't have anywhere to be anyway.." He sighed, "You can take me to Sora, though, right?" Drea nodded, fixing her hair. "Alright then, let's go."

The girl rose to her feet and took Riku by the hand. She lifted her free arm at a 90 degree angle to her body, extending her fingers. A tendril of darkness shot from her palm and drifted to the open space between the teens and Maleficent. "You ready?" She asked, her green eyes focusing on Riku's face.

When Riku stepped through the portal, he instantly found himself in a different world, just like going through a door frame. It really wasn't as epic as he had hoped. However, his mind was quickly captivated by the world itself, so the nonchalant travel method was overlooked.

They were in an alleyway in a large city, and although it was clearly night time, the neons and the streetlights created the illusion of daytime. The air was cold and crisp, but not hollow like the air he had grown accustomed to at Hollow Bastion.

"Sora's here, right?" Riku asked, looking to Drea, who still clung to his arm.

She nodded softly, "I can feel his heart. He's nearby…"

"Man, the number of things we have to do just keeps getting higher." Riku tensed. That was Sora's voice.. But where..?

"It's not a problem, really. We'll just take them one by one." A squawky voice chimed. Riku, staying hidden in the darkness of the alleyway, crept forward.

"There's Sora.. But who's that he's with?" He whispered, causing Drea to join him. "Is that… a humanoid duck?"

"Duck?" She asked, getting a dismissive shake of Riku's head.

"There's a heartless…" Riku tensed. Drea looked to him, then felt the cold blade Maleficent gave him form in his hand, the flat of the metal pressing against her leg from his closeness.

"Stay here." He commanded, rushing the heartless as it latched onto Sora's back. Drea watched as Riku made his dramatic entrance and shouldered his blade, the freed heart floating lazily into the air. "Jeez, Sora. I thought I taught you better than that."

"Ah?" Sora whipped around, "Riku!" The brunette cheered, grabbing Riku's face and stretching his cheeks. "Is it really you?"

"What the- hey, cut it out! Weird-o." He knocked Sora's hands from him and glared before laughing.

"It really is you! Riku-Riku! Where have you been? Is Kairi with you?" Sora asked, not letting go of Riku in his exitement.

"Hey, one question at a time, Sora." Riku's sword returned to the darkness as he put his hands on his hips. "I've been looking all over for you. In fact, I'd still be searching if it weren't for the help I've had."

"Help?" Sora asked.

"Yeah. Drea!" He called, causing the girl to step from the shadows. "Come on over!" He held his arm out to her. Her heels clacked on the stone pavement as she jogged to Riku's side. She eyed the trio, standing beside Riku's arm. He put his arm around her shoulders, "This is Drea. She's the one that found you." Drea laced her fingers together on Riku's shoulder, leaning against him.

"I've had help looking for you, too." Sora proclaimed, "This is Donald." He pointed to the duck, "And Goofy."

"Nice ta meet cha." Goofy greeted.

"Anyhow, is Kairi with you?" Sora asked, putting his hands behind his head.

"I thought she would be with you.." Riku sighed, putting his free arm on his hip. "That's no matter, though. Drea can find her. Right, Drea?"

"Um, yeah…" She spoke, looking up at the silver haired boy, "But I need the rune…"

"Can you really do that?" Sora asked in amazement, reaching for Drea's hand.

Riku stepped between them, "Drea is in tune with hearts, and that kind of stuff, Sora." Riku explained. "She can control darkness. That's how she found you." He reached up and ruffled her hair, making her giggle softly. "Well, why don't we look for her ourselves, for a change?" Riku suggested with a shrug. "We're free to go where ever the hell we please. No parents to tell us what we can and can't do. Just let me take care of everything, and we'll find Kairi in no time. With me around we-"

A gust of wind rustled Drea's hair, cutting Riku off mid-sentence. The girl looked up, seeing a heart float into the air, then followed the trail down to find Sora, posed dramatically, "Let who take care of everything?"

"Sora, when did you…?" Riku turned in surprise. Drea's eyes widened when she saw Sora's sword.

"I've gotten better since you've been away. Partying with these guys is really cool." Sora bragged.

"Our Sora is the keyblade's chosen one. Who'dathunkit? Ahyuk." Goofy put his hands on Sora's shoulders, smiling widely.

"Keyblade.." Drea whispered, remembering what He had said.

"Really… So this is the keyblade…" The group turned, finding Riku holding Sora's weapon.

"Hey! Give it back!" Sora fumed, getting Riku's glance.

"Here, catch." The blade vanished and reappeared in Sora's grip.

"Hey, how'd he do that?" Donald asked, blinking slowly.

"Maybe it's one of those hidden abilities Merlin was talkin' 'bout." Goofy suggested.

"Anyhow, You're partyin' with us, right?" Sora asked, letting the key blade return to the light, "We got this awesome rocket-ship-thingamajig. There's room for you two…"

"That ain't your decision to be makin' Sora!" Donald exploded.

"Why the hell not?" Sora shouted, turning to the duck as Riku tugged at Drea's sleeve. He put his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet, then pointed to a portal Maleficent created. She nodded, making sure to tip toe as she followed him, so her heels didn't make any noise. They passed through the portal, finding themselves standing on a roof top overlooking the area the teens were just in. "He's my friend!" Sora's voice echoed, "Right, Ri…ku… Where'd he go?"

"You see, it's just as I told you.." Maleficent spoke, her arm curling around Riku's shoulders. "While you were working so hard to find him, Sora simply replaced you with new companions. Evidently, he values them more than he does you. But worry not, dear child, for I am your ally. Think no more of that silly boy, and come with me. I will help you find what you seek. I will help you find Kairi."

"Let's go, Drea." Riku spoke, holding his hand out to her ready to enter the portal to the castle.

"He told me to go with Sora…" The girl informed, causing Riku to lower his hand.

"After all Riku did for you?" Maleficent smirked.

"I.." She started, but Riku cut her off.

"Go then. I'll find Kairi on my own." He spat, making her cringe. He turned away, entering the portal abruptly.

"You would throw Riku to the darkness like that?" Maleficent asked, looking down on the little mage. "With out any guide or love?"

"I.." Drea pivoted, looking at Sora as he and his friends followed a girl into a building.

"Very well. I'd like to see the end of this." Maleficent laughed. "I believe it would be most entertaining to have him be your downfall." The witch cackled as she entered the portal, leaving Drea in the darkness.

"It's best you forget about the girl, my child." She spoke. "She chose Sora over you, after all you've done for her, after the friendship you gave her."

"She has her reasons, I'm sure…"

"She was playing you for a fool. That girl is nothing more than a power-hungry leech. Once she learned Sora had better power to offer, she chose to abandon you." Riku furrowed his brow, turning to Maleficent. "However, you mustn't let her cloud your vision. Don't lose site of your goal, my child."

"Kairi…" Riku's expression hardened. "She's the only one I need."


	5. It Began With A Letter

"Sora!" Drea called, tailing after the group.

The boy turned, "Drea? What are you.. Where's Riku?" He asked as she slumped over to catch her breath.

"We.." She looked up, her breath steadying. "He's gone now."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Donald asked as the girl pushed her hair from her face.

"I mean, he's-" "Let's talk about this inside." The black haired girl pushed open the door to the building next to her. "Tadah! The great ninja Yuffie makes her arrival!" There were three other people in the room, all looking rather glum. "Um.. Kinda depressing in here…"

"Maleficent is back in town." The man with long brown hair informed, his intense glare fixated on the floor.

"Malefi-who?" Sora asked, scratching his head.

"Maleficent." Yuffie repeated. "She's one of the baddest witches out there."

"She invaded our home with heartless. If it weren't for Cid…" The man said, pointing to the blonde in a white shirt. "I hate to see what the place is like now."

"Um.." Drea spoke, "Maleficent has left already." The group turned to her, "She… went back home with Riku…"

"You mean, you know Maleficent?" The brunette girl in pink asked, making Drea nod.

"She found me when I first woke up. And, she was my teacher." At their expressions, she frowned. "But I left because He told me to follow the keyblade…"

"Wait, slow down, kid. You're saying you're Maleficent's lackey, but at you want us to trust you?" The blonde asked, a skeptical look on his face.

"Er.." She stepped back. "No, what I mean is…"

"How do we know you're not a spy?" Yuffie asked, stepping towards Drea.

"No, I'm… He told me to stay there, so I did. But then I found Sora, and we left.. But Riku, he… and Maleficent.." She stuttered, trying to defend herself. "He told me to…"

"If you want us to trust you, you're going to have to tell us everything you know about Maleficent." The blonde said, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"What do you want to know?" She asked, the breath catching in her throat.

"First, what's your name?" The brunette man asked, looking into Drea's eyes.

"My name is Drea." She answered.

"Well, Drea. Welcome to the team. I'm Leon, that's Cid, Aerith, and Yuffie." Relief flooded the girl and she smiled, looking back at Sora. He grinned, rubbing his nose.

"Drea," Aerith spoke, getting her attention, "Have you ever heard Maleficent mention something about Ansem's Reports?"

"Oh yeah. Those are those papers about the heartless, right? I've read a couple of the pages, but she didn't have the rest."

"I see, so she is trying to collect them." Aerith spoke more to herself, "If she succeeds, then she could use that knowledge for great evil.."

"Then we just have to get the pages before she does." Sora decided, "Right?"

"Um, actually." Drea reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, "I have a page.. Maleficent didn't know about it, but she can't read them anyway… I've read it so many times, I can recite it now, so I don't mind giving it to you…" Leon took the paper from the girl and carefully unfolded it.

As he read, Drea began to recite, "When the heart casts away the body, where does the body go? Heart and soul are separate, and the soul remains in the body. But can we assume that the remaining body and soul perish?" Leon looked up to the girl. "Certainly when the heart changes into a Heartless, the body disappears. Or does that apply solely to this realm? Could other beings similar to the Heartless exist in another realm? If we take that to be the case, then there must be another form of oneself elsewhere. An existence neither of darkness nor of light. An in-between existence. Cast off by the heart, a mere shell, one who begrudges both the darkness and the light. This mystery cannot be easily resolved. The relationship between the heart and the body is a complex one. But since we exist in this realm, our counterparts of another realm must not be existent. Therefore I shall call them…'The non-existent ones."

The room fell silent as she finished. Drea looked around awkwardly. "He told me to help Sora, so, if this is helping you…."

"He' who?" Leon asked, setting the page on the table in front of him.

"I don't know his name, or what he looks like." She answered, grabbing her elbows, "But he comes and visits me every now and then. There's something about him that I just have to trust."

"You sure are a character.." Cid muttered to himself. "Okay, kids. Get some rest. You got quite a journey ahead of you tomorrow."

"But, I'm not tired at all!" Sora protested, making Cid stand.

"I said sleep." Sora's expression changed to fear.

"Y-yes sir!"

Drea smiled softly, a warm feeling in her chest. Even though she had just met everyone, she felt more at home now than she ever had before.

"I see you found him." He spoke as she shut the door as quietly as possible behind her. "Here, I brought more ice cream."

"You were right." Drea answered, accepting the ice cream bar from the man. "I just knew.."

"It'll be harder for me to come see you with all those people." He said, crumpling the wrapper in his hand and sliding it in one of his pockets.

"We're leaving in the morning." She said, taking a small bite of the bar. She had learned her lesson last time, "Sora, Donald, Goofy and myself."

"So you're going to travel with them?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head through his hood. "With the key bearer."

"That's what you wanted, right?"

"You're becoming really obedient, Drea." He set his hand on her head. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded, smiling softly.


	6. Arabian Dream

She had never been in space - as Sora called it - before. It was much more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. The stars shone so brightly in her eyes as she stared into the blackness. "Hey!" She sat up, pointing to a large.. Thing.. In the middle of space. "What's that?"

"That's the next world we're gonna visit." Donald spoke.

"It's called Agrabah." Chip and Dale, the two maintenance chipmunks - as Donald introduced them - climbed onto her lap and up to the window sill. "It's an arid desert."

"Oh man, sounds hot." Sora sighed as Donald landed the ship. "Oh, hey, Drea. Before we go out there." The girl looked over to her new friend, "Don't let anyone know you're from another world."

"Hmm? Why not?" She asked, sliding her body to face him fully.

"We have to preserve the world border!" Goofy chimed.

"ORDER! World ORDER!" Donald corrected.

"Right. World order. So don't let them know about other worlds, okay?" Goofy advised, "or things could get really bad."

"I understand." She nodded, standing from her seat. As they disembarked, a blast of hot air hit Drea's face, making her gasp. The group paused and looked back at her.

"You okay?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Y-yeah, it's just.. I've never felt air like this. It's so… warm.." She explained, stepping onto the sand. Her foot sank in the grains, making her withdraw it quickly. "What is this?"

"It's sand." Sora said slowly, "It won't hurt you."

"I've never seen anything like this before." She exclaimed, timidly stepping out onto the sand. "It moves when I step on it, like water."

"What are you talking about? You can't walk on water." He laughed, waiting on the girl. She hesitantly made her way over to him, getting used to the sand.

"I can." She informed as they climbed up a dune. "It's pretty easy, actually. A lot easier than this.. Sand." Sora laughed, bounding in front of the group. "Is this what your islands are like, Sora?"

"Nah. I mean, it's hot like this, and there is sand, but only on the beach. We usually build sand castles with it." He said, slipping a little on the sand, "There's more water and-" He was cut off by his foot sinking. "What the…"

"Sora, you ok-KYAAA!" Drea shrieked as the ground gave out from under them, burying them neck deep in sand. "What is this?"

"It's a sink hole!" Donald exclaimed.

"Is this supposed to happen?" She cried, panicking.

"No. This is very, very bad."

"Oh man, Jasmine is so beautiful. She's got the softest black hair, and eyes so beautiful you could drown in them. I'm totally in love with her, but she's a princess, and I'm…" Aladdin rubbed the back of his head, "I could never be with her.."

"Oh, come on! Don't put yourself down like that!" Sora cheered. "Right guys?"

"Oh yeah, just give it a chance!" Donald agreed.

"Ahyuk, You ain't so bad lookin'." Goofy nodded, looking back at Drea, "Right, Drea?"

"Um.. Yes?" She raised her eyebrow, hoping that was what she was supposed to say.

"Aw, stop you guys. You're embarrassing me." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Really."

"Well, if you're done getting your ego rubbed, do you mind getting us outta here?" Donald shouted. Drea squirmed, feeling herself sink a little deeper. The sand was at her lower lip now and she made a mental note to never go on sand again after this.

"Oh, sorry, guys. I almost forgot." Aladdin laughed. He produced from behind his back a shiny little lamp. Rubbing his hand against it, he spoke, "Oh genie of the lamp, as your master, I command you with my first wish! Save these four from the quicksand!"

Sora's eyes opened in amazement as a puff of blue smoke rose from the spout of the lamp, forming into a humanoid shape. However, all the wonder and amazement vanished instantly when the genie spoke, "Hello, hello, hello! The one and only Genie of the Lamp at your service, good sirs! Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted at the cut-my-own-throat prices of ABSOLUTELY FREE! The mysterious, marvelous, magical Genie has ALL the answers!"

"Um, can we hear the introduction after you've saved them, Genie?"

"Sure thing!" He pointed his finger at the four stuck in the sand, "Just a zap of the ole finger and all is well." The group floated from the sand, landing safely by Aladdin's feet.

"Oh man, thanks for the save." Sora sighed as Drea attempted to rid herself of sand.

"You're lucky I happened to be by. This isn't a trade route, so the sand would have swallowed you otherwise. What brings you way out here, anyway?"

"I wanted to build a sand castle." Drea answered on cue, slipping her leather boot back on her foot. "A really big one."

"Well, you have enough sand to do it." Aladdin laughed.

"What about you? Why are you so far out here?" Sora asked quickly, mentally thanking Drea.

"Me? Rumor has it there's a cave around here called the Cave of Wonders. According to the legend, there's an unimaginable treasure in there. I just spent the last few hours laying claim to it. Lady and gentlemen, I present to you the great lamp."

"And the sexiest djinn of the lamp is none other than moi. Most clients just call me Genie, though." He circled around Aladdin, "Now, getting down to business. What would you like for wish number two?"

"Can you really make any wish come true?" Sora asked, his eyes lighting up.

"There's a few exceptions, but otherwise…"

Aladdin rubbed his chin in thought, "Well. How about making me a fabulously wealthy prince?"

"Ohohoh, thinking big! I like it! Alrighty, one prince, coming right-"

"Wait, Genie." Aladdin interrupted, "Think we could save the wish for when we get closer to Agrabah?" He blushed, "Cause I was hoping to propose to someone, and…"

"You're the man!" Sora slapped him on the back, giving him a thumbs up.

"Sure thing, master." Genie winked. "I'm gonna enjoy my time in the sun. Ah, the fresh air! The great outdoors!"

"You're happy?" Drea asked, falling in step with Sora as they headed towards the large city on the horizon.

"You bet. It's karma, kid. It comes with the job. Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty living spaces. I'm lucky if I see the light of day every century. It's always three wishes, then poof, back into the bottle." Genie explained, zipping through the air.

"Hey, Genie." Aladdin looked up to the djinn. "What if I used my last wish to free you? Would that get rid of what ever is binding you to the lamp?"

"Al, you.." Genie looked sad. "That means a lot to me, even if you aren't serious about it.."


	7. No Time to Think

"So, you folks are going to Agrabah, too, huh?" Aladdin asked, "It's still a ways off, but…"

"What's that noise?" Drea asked, stopping her pace.

"I didn't hear anything." Sora turned towards her, "What did it sound like?"

"It's moving towards us very quickly." She closed her eyes. "I've never heard anything like it.." It was then that a monkey riding a flying carpet bashed into Sora, sending them flying in opposite directions.

"Abu?" Aladdin exclaimed, "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Drea, I want you to meet Abu. He's my partner in crime." He introduced them as the monkey scrambled over him frantically. "That's Carpet."

"Nice. Getting' to Agrabah's gonna be a breeze now." Sora sighed, looking at the carpet.

"What? Jasmine?" The two teens turned at Aladdin's exclamation. "Carpet! Take me to her!" He ran over to the carpet, leaping onto it. "Sorry, guys, but I have to go."

"Wait!" Sora cried, "We'll go with you!"

"Get on!" He nodded, making room for the four of them. It didn't take long for the carpet to carry them to where Jasmine was being held captive by one of Maleficent's henchmen. The group was stationed at the mouth of a large cat-like cave.

"Jafar!" Drea exclaimed as they neared.

"Ah, Drea. It's good to see you again." Jafar smirked, "Though I see you've abandoned your usual company of heartless for a pack of street rats."

"We'll never let you get away with this, Jafar!" Aladdin yelled as the team leapt into the throng of heartless, "Give Jasmine back!"

"It's a trap!" Jasmine spat the gag from her mouth, "Aladdin, run!"

"It's much too late, princess." Jafar laughed, holding his hand out to catch the Genie's lamp from his parrot's claws. "The great lamp now belongs to me." Aladdin gasped, checking his belt as Jafar began to laugh. "Now, my heartless. Destroy these pests!" The heartless swarmed, giving Jafar ample time to force Jasmine into a pot spider.

"Guh.. No!" Aladdin cried, throwing the heartless from him. "Jafar! Get back here!"

As the heartless buried Drea, she stuck her hand out at the pot spider, willing it to stop in its tracks. A bright light shot from Drea's chest, disintegrating the heartless that swarmed them. She was on her feet, breathing heavily, clutching at her heart. "Drea? Are you- what was-" Sora exclaimed, rushing to her side.

"GO!" She grunted, slipping to one knee. "Get Jasmine!" Sora ignored her order and grabbed her arm, slinging it over his shoulder. "What are you-"

"C'mon!" He shifted Drea's weight and helped her to move. "Let's go rescue Jasmine." Her expression softened, and she nodded, getting a grin from Sora.

The group pursued Jafar into the depths of the Cave of Wonders until they ran into a fork. "Which way do we go?" Donald squaked. Drea, who was recovered enough to walk on her own, stared down the bleakness of the right side of the fork.

"This way!" Sora exclaimed, leading them down the left. "The keyblade is telling me to go this way!" The others exchanged a glance before following the keybearer.

"Maleficent!" At the sound of Jafar's voice, Drea grabbed Sora's hood and yanked him back into the shadows. She put her fingers to her lips like Riku had shown her, telling Sora to be quiet. "You misunderstand. I was merely jesting-" Jafar forced an awkward laugh.

"I wouldn't regret your dismissal, in truth." Drea crept forward, taking the lightest steps she could so her heels didn't click. "You are, after all, merely an expendable asset. Remember that, Jafar."

"I'll get the princess." Drea tensed. That was Riku's voice. She looked back to Sora and nodded. They rushed into the open.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Drea cried, sending an icy blast at Maleficent's head. She easily avoided the attack and tsk'd.

"I thought I taught you better than that, my child." Amusement was in her eyes as she watched Drea's expression. The witch tapped her staff against the ground, sending a spell to Drea that constricted her body. "You should learn to not bite the hand that feeds."

"Drea!" Sora exclaimed as the girl cried out in pain, her body contorting from the force of the magic. "Riku, do something!"

"Let her go, Maleficent. She won't interfere again." Riku commanded, lifting Jasmine from the pot spider and slinging her over his shoulder. Maleficent arched an eyebrow, looking over at the boy. "We're done here, anyway."

Maleficent smirked, dispelling her curse on Drea, allowing her to fall to her knees as The Witch created a portal to Hollow Bastion. Riku, not looking at Drea, quickly crossed through, leaving the Witch to laugh at her former student.

"I've told you before, Drea. You can not defeat me." Drea wheezed, clutching at her chest. With much effort, she rolled onto her back, her feet sliding on the sand-and-jewel covered floor as she writhed in pain.

"Genie, Can't you do something?" Aladdin asked as Donald cast an ineffective cure on Drea.

"Sorry, Al. I can't…" Genie apologized, not able to look at Aladdin in shame.

"The djinn is under my control now, boy. There's nothing you can do." Jafar laughed, "Genie!" He turned to the magical being, "My wish! Crush these pests like the rats they are."

"Genie…" Aladdin pleaded as Sora helped Drea to her feet and moving her to cover.

"I'm sorry, Al. the one who has the lamps calls the shots." It was obvious Genie's heart was breaking, "I can't disobey." He held out his hands, sending a lightning bolt in Aladdin's general direction, hoping it missed.

"What's this? Your aim is off, Genie!" Jafar growled as Genie continued to miss, "You're utterly pathetic!" The sorcerer was pissed. "All that power, and no will to use it… I will show you your true power."

Drea covered her nose. The darkness around Jafar was increasing at an alarming rate, and the smell made her sick to her stomach. She gagged, rolling away from the man, "It's so… heavy.."

"My final wish!" He cried, "Make me an all-powerful genie!" Sora's eyes widened. There was no way. He couldn't! Genie closed his eyes, hesitantly pointing his finger at Jafar.

The room began to rumbled and fall apart as Jafar grew in size. His laughter boomed, an ethereal reverberation echoing within it. The ground gave way to an island chunk in a lava pit, where Sora and Aladdin fell, leaving Donald, Goofy and Drea in the ruins of the treasure room. "This power!" Jafar roared, "This is what I have sought! Fear me, Maleficent! With such a force at my hand, the whole of reality is mine!"

"Sora." Aladdin, nudged the boy, "Over there!" Sora turned to where Aladdin indicated, seeing Jafar's parrot Iago trying to fly off with the lamp. "If we can get that…"

"Cover me.." He whispered, getting a nod from Aladdin.

"But before that.." Jafar commented as Sora dashed for the lamp, "I think a little house keeping is in order. Vanish, you scum!"

"No, Jafar!" Sora stood valiantly. "You're the one that has to go! Into the lamp!"

"What?" Jafar's magical rage came to an abrupt halt.

"Some one told me a little while ago that a genie bound to serve the master who holds the lamp. Let's get on with it. My commands are absolute. Chop, Chop."

"No! NO!" The lamp began to devour Jafar. "This cannot beeeeee!" He cried, the suction of the lamp consuming him, Iago and all.

"Hehe, How do you like your new home, boys?" Sora asked, tossing the lamp in the air and catching it again. "Huh?" From the spout of the lamp shot a piece of paper that he reached up and caught. "It's a part of the report.."

"You did it, kiddies!" The two were lifted from the ground in Genie's massive arms. "Congrats!" He carried them to where Drea, Donald and Goofy were gathered.

"Who would've guessed by lookin' at you that there's a brain in there somewhere." Donald joked as Genie plucked Jafar's lamp from Sora's hands.

"This lamp should be-" He wound up for the pitch, but suddenly started burying it, "Buried far, far underground!"

Drea pulled herself to a stand as Sora turned towards the keyhole revealed by Genie with Jafar's first wish. "Just gotta lock this…" He pointed the keyblade at the keyhole, a beam of light shooting from the tip of the sword. A loud, mechanical clicking sound resounded through the room, and the keyhole disappeared. "Another job well done!"

It was then the ground began to rumble. "We need to leave.." Drea suggested, using Sora's shoulder for balance.

"I agree." Genie nodded.

"Everyone on the carpet!" Sora cried.

"But- Jasmine!" Aladdin protested as Drea and Sora hoisted him onto the now airborne carpet.

"She's not here anymore. We'll bring her back, but right now, we need to focus on not dying." Sora explained. Drea inhaled deeply and stood. "What are you doing, Drea?"

"Shh!" She hissed, using Sora's shoulder for balance. A small bubble formed in front of her face. It was weak at first, but she fed it more mana until it grew large enough to encompass the carpet. She kept her eyes closed in concentration as the lava rose around them.

The lava hugged her shield; Drea grunted, trying to keep the bubble from breaking. "Donald, can't you help her?" Sora cried as Drea fell to one knee, the bubble shrinking.

"I don't know this magic!" Donald exclaimed as the bubble began to crack, the lava hitting it from all angles.

"Genie! Get us out of here before Drea loses it!" Aladdin commanded.

"Okay! That's wish number two." The bubbled shattered and Drea fell unconscious just as Genie zapped them to safety.


	8. Olympus Coliseum

"You're getting so strong." She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. The man in black was sitting at her bedside, holding her hand gently. "You've been pushing yourself a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Where-"

"Shh." He shushed, "Go back to sleep, Drea. You're still so tired." She realized he was right and shut her eyes again.

"I'm telling you, we need to just post a sign on the side of the ship: Professional Stuff-getter-backers. That way we could at least CHARGE people for all this." Drea sat up in bed, yawning deeply.

"Oh, stop it already!" She stood from the mattress, looking around. Her shoes were beside the bed, and she found her hair tie and evoker horn on the beside table, but decided to leave them there for the time being.

"I'm just sayin'! The way things are going now, we're getting so many side quests that we won't be able to accomplish our goals." Drea's finger curled around the ladder that lead to the cockpit.

"That's not true, we just-" As Drea reached the top of the ladder, one of the buttons on the dashboard began to wail and blink furiously.

"What's that noise?" Donald exclaimed as Drea made her way to Sora's side. "Where's it coming from?" She leaned forward, clicking the button.

"Yo, kids! How's it hanging?" A screen appeared on part of the windshield, showing a transmission of Cid.

"Cid!" Sora exclaimed, "When'd you?"

"Installed it last time your ship was in the garage. Figured Chip 'n Dale would've toldja about it. I'm just callin to check in on you guys. How's it been going?"

"We sealed another keyhole." Sora answered, "and we found a report, but I can't read a lick of it, and Drea's been recovering this whole time."

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, looking to Sora.

"For about a day." Donald answered.

"Really?"

"Anyhow, if you wanna fax that report over, I can translate it in a jiffy." Cid spoke, getting their attention. "I installed a fax machine, too." Over by Goofy, a panel flipped over, revealing a fax machine all hooked up and ready for use. "I got Leon and the girls on info gathering right now. Maleficent is definitely on the move."

"I don't know if this helps any, but when I was with her, she had me collect theses 'Princesses.' She already had three girls named Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White, and now she has Alice and Jasmine. I don't know what she wants with them, or how many of them there are, though.."

"Damn it." Cid slammed his fist down. "So that's what she's after."

"Is that bad?" Drea asked, clutching her chest.

"Just keep on sealing the keyholes. And try to keep her from getting any more princesses." he ended the call abruptly. Drea turned away and sighed.

"I wonder what all of this means.." Sora sighed as well, slumping in his seat.

"Who knows. But maybe, now that Cid knows about Maleficent's plan, we can get ahead of her.." Goofy spoke as Drea sat on the arm of Sora's chair, one arm across her chest, the other propping her head.

"May I see that report?" Drea spoke. Sora fished it from his pocket, handing it to the girl.

"Can you really read that?" He asked as she examined the paper.

"Mhmm." She nodded, "Here, I'll read it out loud for you. Then we can send it to Cid so they can have it."

"Well, let's hear it." Donald urged.

"The shadows that crawl beneath the castle... Are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond my imagination?" She read, "All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the mysteries of the heart. Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying underground even as I write this report. They still need a name. Those who lack hearts... I will call them the Heartless." She lowered the paper and looked at them.

"Well, that didn't help us any." Sora sighed. "I thought these reports held untold knowledge."

"Sorry, but that's what is says.." Drea shrugged, giving the paper back.

"We'll have to fax it over later. I'm gonna land over there." Donald informed, pointing at a world.

"Wow, cool gate!" Sora exclaimed, running the length of the sandy plaza.

"This here is the Olympus Coliseum. Warriors from all over the galaxy gather for a mixed martial arts tournament." The little cricket living in Sora's jacket made an appearance.

"Mixed martial arts?" Sora's face shone brightly.

"Sora, we don't have time to participate." Donald chided.

"Tournament? I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds fun." Drea said, making her way up the large steps. "C'mon Sora!"

"Yeah! See, can't you guys be more fun, like her?" Sora followed the girl into the coliseum lobby.

"Oh, great timing!" The two turned, seeing a little goat man standing on a pedestal, writing down rules for the games. "Mind moving that block over there for me?"

"Um, sure.." Sora nodded, planting his palms against the block and pushing. "This ain't…. sooo… tooooouughhhh!" His face turned red from the effort, and his feet were sliding everywhere, but the block refused to move.

"Are you alright?" Drea stepped towards the boy slightly.

"There's no way to move this thing! It's way too heavy!" Sora fell to the ground from exhaustion.

"Too heavy? Herc, when did you become such a weaa-" The goat man whipped around, spotting the heroes. "Oh. Wrong person. Sorry, we're closed kid."

"We wanna compete!" Sora exclaimed, linking arms with Drea. "Right, Drea?"

"Right…"

"You two want to compete? You. A girl. And you. A guy who can't even push a little marble block." The goat man exclaimed, making the duo look at each other awkwardly.

"Listen up, pipsqueaks. This is a HEROES only tournament. Unless you got a ticket, GET OUT!" He screamed. Drea tugged at Sora's arm, telling him to leave.

"Aren't you a hero, though?" Drea asked as they exited to the plaza.

"I thought I was.." Sora scratched his head with confusion.

"Honestly, that old coot is getting pickier and pickier. We can't have him ignoring talent like you, can we?" Drea tensed slightly as Hades slunk out from the shadows. "It's petty favoritism, I tell ya. See, Phil's got this student - Heracles or something - and just because he's a fast learner, he became the apple of Phil's eye. We got fresh meat pourin' in from all reaches, and he turns 'em down to dedicate more time to that kid. Doesn't think for a minute what could happen if his wonder-boy retires from the champion business. Oh, sorry. Didn't mean for all that to come out; I've had a lot on my mind."

"And you are…" Donald demanded. Hades ignored the duck, placing his hands on Sora's shoulders.

"I see you're here to apply as a rookie. I might be able to help you out, kid. I can tell just by looking, you and that girl -" he winked at Drea, "You've got talent. Put on a good show for me." Hades held up his hand, a blue flame igniting and turning into a ticket. He handed the ticket to Sora.

"Wow, can I really have this?"

"Knock 'em dead, kid." Hades waved his hand in the air as he returned to the shadows. "Make me proud."

"Thanks, mister!" Sora yelled before he, Donald and Goofy ran back inside. Drea lingered for a moment, watching the shadows.

"Hades…" She whispered before returning inside.


	9. Road to a Hero

"Well, it ain't a counterfeit or anything… Alright, I'll let you in." Phil sighed, examining the ticket, "BUT FIRST! Ya gotta go through training."

"Eh?" Sora and Drea exclaimed simultaneously.

"I'll have you fit as a bodybuilder in no time." Training was nothing like Drea would ever have imagined. Phil had them learning everything from balancing on skinny poles over shark infested water, to dodging flaming arrows, to learning ballet.

"Stronger than anyone! Kinder than anyone! He's always there for you, and he's handsome to boot. That's what a hero is!" Phil cheered as the four finished the obstacle course. Drea, who was in the lead, promptly fell flat on her stomach from exhaustion.

"How long.. Have we.. Been training.." She gasped, rolling over onto her back to breath better.

"Nearly three hours.." Donald answered. She heaved a sigh of exasperation, feeling like an out of shape wimp.

"It's still too early to call yourselves heroes." Phil's words were like a direct hit to Drea's soul. She whined, kicking her feet. Don't worry, though. Your efforts will pay off soon."

"How much longeeeeer?"

"There's more to being a hero than buffing your brawn, Drea." Phil explained, measuring Sora's biceps. "Take your heart for example. If you want to amount to anything, you need a strong spirit."

"How do I make my spirit stronger, Phil?" Sora asked, looking at the goat man.

"That's something you're gonna have to figure out on your own."

"Herc!" Phil exclaimed. Drea looked up to see an overly muscular man in an armor-dress and a cape. His orange hair was covered by a frilly bandana. She suppressed her expression, rolling on her side to not have to look at him.

"Hey, Phil. I just finished cleaning the bathrooms." He greeted as the fawn ran to him, jumping on Hercules's shoulders.

"Let me introduce you kiddies. This here's my protégé, my main man, Hercules!" Phil slapped Herc on the cheeks before realizing what he had said - "You just finished cleaning what..?"

"Yeah, some one asked me to." He nodded, turning his back to Sora. With out Phil or Herc's eyes on him, Sora tried to flex. Drea pointed at him and silently laughed, making him exhale in defeat.

"A legendary hero… cleaning bathrooms. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Phil laughed.

"Yeah, it is pretty funny.." Hercules smiled, "Oh, and I looked over the roster for the tournament. No shortage of shady characters again, this year. It's like someone is intentionally leaking tickets."

Drea looked away, "That'd be Hades.." She thought as the Hero and his trainer walked away in conversation.

"Well, it ain't a counterfeit or anything… Alright, I'll let you in." Phil sighed, examining the ticket, "BUT FIRST! Ya gotta go through training."

"Eh?" Sora and Drea exclaimed simultaneously.

"I'll have you fit as a bodybuilder in no time." Training was nothing like Drea would ever have imagined. Phil had them learning everything from balancing on skinny poles over shark infested water, to dodging flaming arrows, to learning ballet.

"Stronger than anyone! Kinder than anyone! He's always there for you, and he's handsome to boot. That's what a hero is!" Phil cheered as the four finished the obstacle course. Drea, who was in the lead, promptly fell flat on her stomach from exhaustion.

"How long.. Have we.. Been training.." She gasped, rolling over onto her back to breath better.

"Nearly three hours.." Donald answered. She heaved a sigh of exasperation, feeling like an out of shape wimp.

"It's still too early to call yourselves heroes." Phil's words were like a direct hit to Drea's soul. She whined, kicking her feet. Don't worry, though. Your efforts will pay off soon."

"How much longeeeeer?"

"There's more to being a hero than buffing your brawn, Drea." Phil explained, measuring Sora's biceps. "Take your heart for example. If you want to amount to anything, you need a strong spirit."

"How do I make my spirit stronger, Phil?" Sora asked, looking at the goat man.

"That's something you're gonna have to figure out on your own."

"Herc!" Phil exclaimed. Drea looked up to see an overly muscular man in an armor-dress and a cape. His orange hair was covered by a frilly bandana. She suppressed her expression, rolling on her side to not have to look at him.

"Hey, Phil. I just finished cleaning the bathrooms." He greeted as the fawn ran to him, jumping on Hercules's shoulders.

"Let me introduce you kiddies. This here's my protégé, my main man, Hercules!" Phil slapped Herc on the cheeks before realizing what he had said - "You just finished cleaning what..?"

"Yeah, some one asked me to." He nodded, turning his back to Sora. With out Phil or Herc's eyes on him, Sora tried to flex. Drea pointed at him and silently laughed, making him exhale in defeat.

"A legendary hero… cleaning bathrooms. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Phil laughed.

"Yeah, it is pretty funny.." Hercules smiled, "Oh, and I looked over the roster for the tournament. No shortage of shady characters again, this year. It's like someone is intentionally leaking tickets."

Drea looked away, "That'd be Hades.." She thought as the Hero and his trainer walked away in conversation.

Phil decided they were ready for the tournament after another hour of training, much to Team Sora's joy. Their opponents were mostly heartless, a fact that Sora commented on during their half-way break.

"I didn't think heartless had the smarts to do this kinda stuff." Sora said while the team was huddled.

"They don't. There must be a keyhole in this world." Drea briefed, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Okay, kids! Huddle's over! Your next match is about to start!" Phil announced, butting in between their legs. The group split. Donald and Goofy opted to look for the keyhole while Sora and Drea entered the battlefield.

"Who's that?" Drea whispered, grabbing Sora's sleeve as a menacing looking blonde entered the stadium.

"That's our opponent." He whispered back. "Not thinking about running, are you?"

"Contestants ready?" Phil announced. "3.."

"Honestly?"

"2..."

"I am…"

"FIGHT!"

The blonde lifted his massive sword and rushed them with an impressive speed. Drea hardly had time to react before he sliced at her head. She rolled under his blade and to the left before jumping back to get some distance.

The man continued to target her, coming at her again. This time, Drea was ready for him, sliding between his legs as he attacked. She came up behind him, aiming to land a kick to the back of his neck.

A trail of fire followed her heel as she brought it down on thin air. "Where'd he?"

"Right here." She turned, getting a chest full of his shoulder. The force sent her flying across the arena.

"Drea!" Sora yelled as she landed, creating a cloud of dust. The man turned his attention to the keybearer, slowly walking towards him. Drea caught him off guard with a blast of air that cleared the dust around her. She quickly followed it up with two consecutive fire balls, each about three feet in diameter.

He sliced through the first ball, but the second connected, knocking him into a stagger. "Sora! Now!" Drea commanded. The boy attacked, but was easily deflected. "Sora!"

The man knocked Sora to the side, then went after Drea again. "Stay down!" He commanded, punching the girl in the stomach. The breath flew from her body as the force from his fist lifted her off the ground. He withdrew his hand, leaving her to stagger backwards and fall, coughing violently.

"Drea!" Sora yelled, "What did you do to her?" When the man didn't answer, Sora charged blindly, trying to hit him with any means available. The man easily counted and has Sora on the ground in seconds, his massive sword pointed down at Sora's throat.

Sora's breath came out in short, terrified puffs. "That was too easy." The man spoke. "What the hell does Hades want with you." Drea's eyes narrowed; she gritted her teeth. So Hades sent him…

The man knelt, picking up Sora's keyblade. "I see. I thought it was just a toy, but it has some weight to it.." As he was talking, a looming shadow grew over head.

"What in the…" Drea sputtered. "What is that.." A massive three headed dog snarled viciously at the man. One of the heads swooped at the man, who grabbed Sora and rolled out of the way. Drea slowly picked herself up, ready to try to fight the dog if she had to.

The dog chomped at the man again, but was repelled by Hercules's fist. "Get out of here!" He exclaimed. Sora scrambled up and ran over to Drea, who was trying to get out of the way.

"Let's go." He helped support her as they ran from the stadium. When they got into the lobby, Sora set Drea on one of the benches. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She nodded, wincing. "My stomach hurts…"

"Whoa, that was scary. That's Cerberus, guardian dog of the underworld. Herc should be able to handle him." No sooner had the words left his mouth when a cry of defeat came from outside. "Um, then again.. Herc!"

"I'm going!" Sora gripped his keyblade.

"Sora!" Drea grabbed his arm, "What if you can't…"

"I can beat it, Drea." Sora gave her a thumbs up, "Because it has to be defeated. Simple as that." He broke her grip, "You just sit tight." And ran off with Donald and Goofy.

Drea's eyes fell to the ground. "Sora…."

"Hercules!" Sora yelled, rushing out into the arena. "You take Cloud and get out of here! We'll take care of this mutt!"

"Kid! I got two words of advice! ATTACK!" Phil cheered as Herc carried the man to safety.

"COME ON!" Sora roared as the dog moved in to attack. He leapt in the air, bringing the keyblade down on the nose of the middle head as hard as he could. The dog whined and backed up in pain before collapsing. Sora landed, his eyes wide in shock. "Er.. Okay…?"

Drea tenderly healed her stomach as Hercules came in the lobby with the blonde guy in the maroon cloak. "I wonder if they're alright." Phil fretted, pacing back and forth as Herc set the man down on the floor.

"Nah, they'll be fine. Between us, I wore Cerberus down before Sora jumped in." Hercules winked at Drea to ease her worry. "I just hope they don't get dissapoi-"

"YOU MISSED IT, DREA!" Sora yelled, coming back into the room. "I'M SO POWERFUL! I DEFEATED CERBERUS IN A SINGLE BLOW!" She stood, a smile on her face.

"Really?" The two hugged and she winked at Hercules.

"I bet you're gonna believe me now!" The two of them jumped up and down before Sora turned to Phil. "Did you see me?" He grabbed the fawn, hoisting him into the air and shaking him, "I'm so amazing! I bet I'm strong enough to move the pedestal now!"

"Puh! I doubt that, but you're welcome to try, kid!" Phil laughed as Sora set him down. Drea went to his side, putting her hands on her hips as he attempted to move the marble block. It budged slightly, but didn't move anymore until Donald and Goofy joined in.

"There's no rule that says you can't help your friends!" Goofy explained as Drea, too, helped to push. With their four of them, the block was easily pushed aside, revealing the world's keyhole.


	10. The Deep End

"My light, huh…" Sora mumbled to himself, staring at the gummi block Cloud had given him before they departed. "What ever that means.."

"Hey, kids!" Cid's face popped up on the screen. "What's goin' on."

"Cid!" Drea beamed, turning her chair to face him.

"Hey, Cid." Donald spoke, "Could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure thing, Donald. What's up?" Cid asked, eating some colorful buns on a stick.

"WE CANT SEE WHERE YOUR GOING CAUSE YOUR FACE IS COVERING THE WINDSHIELD!" The duck exploded, "WE'LL CALL YOU IF WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

"Alright! Alright!" The monitor began to static. "I'll-" The sound faded out, "What's going-"

"Cid?" Sora exclaimed, sitting up in his seat, but the screen went blank. "What's going on!"

"GAWRSH! Look behind us!" Goofy exclaimed. The group turned.

"What is-?" Drea stood, tensing up.

"I think we're in a giant mouth.." Sora spoke lowly.

"Maybe we should try to get out." The girl suggested, her voice also low. Just as she spoke, the mouth began to close. "Ah! Oh no!" Then, nothing.

"Nngg.." Sora groaned, his eyes fluttering open.

"Hey! That's our gummi block!" Donald shouted.

"Let go of me!" A little kid yelled.

Sora raised his head, feeling something shift under him. "Oh, you're awake."

"Drea?" He found that she had propped his head on her thighs as he slept. "Where are we?"

"Donald said we were in the belly of a whale. I don't know what a whale is, so I can't really vouch." she smiled softly, pulling herself to a stand. "Those two have been fighting for a while now over that thing that man gave you." She held her hand out to Sora and hoisted him up.

"That gummi block Cloud gave me?" He asked, getting a nod.

"It's mine!" The kid yelled, "I found it!"

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying!" The boy insisted. Then, the strangest thing happened. The boy's nose began to grow.

"Well, I'll be. Pinocchio? Pinocchio?" the Cricket jumped from Sora's hood onto his shoulder. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Jiminy!" Pinocchio exclaimed happily as Sora and Drea made their way over. The cricket jumped from Sora's shoulder and used his umbrella to parachute to Pinocchio.

"You know him, Jiminy?" Sora asked.

"I'm his conscience. A fairy asked me to keep him on the right path, but when our world was swallowed by darkness, we were separated. Anyhow, meet Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Drea. I've been looking after them. You wouldn't believe how often they stray off the path."

"Excuse us?" Sora and Donald growled in unison, making Jiminy laugh.

"Anyhow, you know you're not supposed to lie, Pinocchio. I lie just gets bigger and bigger until it becomes as plain as the nose on your face."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Jiminy. I promise I won't lie again. Honest!" At the end of Pinocchio's swear, his nose reverted back to its normal size.

"You need to be good so you can become a real boy, like you promised your father you would." The cricket stated, "Speaking of, where is old Geppetto?"

"Oh, I'll take you to him!" the puppet boy offered.

"That sounds swell!" Jiminy nodded, "Come along, everyone." Drea looked to Sora. It was strange how quickly the kid became friendly. He nodded, following the little kid.

Geppetto's house was an old boat among the wreckage. Living with him were a little kitty named Figaro, and a goldfish named Cleo. Turns out, they really had been swallowed by a whale, and Geppetto was collecting gummi blocks to build a ship to get him and his family out of there.

"I'm gonna go look for more blocks!" The child announced, "Then we can make a HUGE ship!" He ran off into the depths of the whale.

"Don't run to far!" Geppetto warned before laughing warmly. "He really is an energetic boy. Even so, he's so very dear to me. I do hope he'll become real soon.. Someday-" "AAAAAAHHH!"

Drea shot to her feet, "Sora!"

"Right!" He followed after her, drawing his keyblade. They entered one of the openings in the lining of the wall.

"No way.." Drea stopped so abruptly, Sora crashed into her.

"Jeez, Drea, what's your deal? Why'd you… stop.. So…"

"Come out!" She commanded, recognizing a heavy scent of darkness. "I can smell you…"

Riku stepped from a corner, shaking his head, "Oh come on. I don't smell that bad, do I, Drea?" He was holding the little puppet boy under his arm.

"Riku.." She gasped. With a darkness that powerful, she had expected someone like Maleficent. "Riku, what have you…" She stepped forward. "Tell me you haven't sunken this deep into darkness, Riku." An overwhelming sadness gripped her; The force of Riku's darkness swallowed the warmth of Sora's light, leaving Drea feeling cold and alone.

He smirked and held his arm out to her, tilting his head down and locking eyes with her. She hesitated, but found herself taking a step forward. The darkness in her stirred, and Riku must've felt it because he turned and took off running.

"Wait!" She cried, running after him.

"Drea!" Sora grabbed for her but missed by centimeters as she left him to follow the silver haired boy into the depths of the whale's stomach.

"Think you can keep up, Drea?" Riku's voice echoed through the rooms as she gave chase. She paused and looked around. "I'm over here!" The girl picked a door and went with it, getting more and more lost with every doorway she went through. "You're slowing down, Drea."

She was close to tears. It was like one of those pictures of staircases, where each one leads to a different dimension. "Riku, why are you running from me?" She pleaded, turning in a circle, trying to find him.

"You're close. Keep trying." He teased. Out of frustration, she pounded her fist against the wall, sending a tremor through the whale.

"Riku, why are you doing this to me?" She whispered, looking down at her feet as tears welled in her eyes.

"Try one more door." She whipped around, seeing him standing in a doorway. She instantly ran after him and found herself in a completely different room from the others. It was large and circular, with a green, bubbly liquid in a pit in the middle of the floor.

She cautiously made her way into the open of the room, scanning the area for Riku. "Careful of that stuff." He grabbed the back of her shirt as she neared the pit, and yanked her away from it. "Don't wanna get that on you."

"Riku." She breathed, her expression softening. "I've wanted to see you… so badly…"

"Drea.." He looked into her eyes, "Why are you still with Sora?" He put his hand to her chin and lifted her gaze to him. She caught his eyes and trembled. "Come with me."

"I…" She breathed lightly, stepping against him. She broke their stares, putting her face against his collar bone as she embraced him. Riku cupped the back of her head with one hand, putting his other arm around the small of her back. "I don't know what I want.." She whispered. "I feel like I've lost your darkness in my light. I don't know who's right, I don't know what I should be doing. I've lost my way, or rather, I'm realizing that I never had a path to begin with."

Riku pulled away, looking at the girl as her face contorted with tears. "I've experienced so many new things, and I'm meeting all these new people, but every time, I want to be by you instead. I'm scared of the darkness.. But, if the darkness takes you, then I hope it takes me, too."

"Drea.." He breathed, trailing his fingers over her face, brushing her hair out of the way as she trembled under his touch. "I think you know exactly what you want.." He cupped her chin in his hand, pressing her against him with his other arm.

"Riku! Drea!" Riku stepped away from the girl quickly, drawing his sword as Sora entered the room. "Riku, what are you…"

"Go home, Sora." He growled, stepping in front of the girl. "You're not needed anymore."

"Riku, what are you saying..?" Sora asked, hurt evident on his face. "Why are you being like this?"

"Put your sword away, Riku.." Drea stepped forward, putting her hand on his arm. "I don't want to see you two fight anymore.." Riku stared the boy down for a moment longer before relaxing his stance and sending Soul Eater back to the darkness. She placed her forehead between his shoulder blades, hugging herself.

Sora bit his lower lip, stepping towards the two as Riku looked over his shoulder at the redhead, his eyes half closed. "Are you ready to go home..?" The silver haired boy whispered, making her nod against him.

"Riku… Drea…" Sora breathed sadly. "Why does it have to be this way?"

"You should go home, too, Sora.." Riku spoke as he turned to Drea, picking her up bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes. "Drea's too tired to play with you anymore.."

The hero fell to his knees in defeat as he watched his best friends disappear into the corridor of darkness. "Sora?" Donald exclaimed as he and Goofy finally caught up. "Sora, what's wrong?" He felt himself being shaken by Donald as Goofy rushed over to the unconscious puppet who had been forgotten this whole time. "Sora, snap out of it!"

"Hey, uh, Where'd Drea go?" Goofy asked, making his way to the two's side as he carried Pinocchio. "Gawrsh, you feelin' alright, Sora?"

"…They're gone."


	11. Pirate's Gigue

"Where are we?" Drea inquired as Riku set her down on a plush red couch in an extravagant looking room. "I thought you said we were going home, Riku." He sat down beside her and pulled her against him.

"This is just a pit stop on our way." He spoke into Drea's hair. "Just be patient. We're going home soon." The room they were in was rather lavish. The walls and furniture were golden and the cushions were red. The floor was a deep hard wood, and the room was encased with windows looking out over a blackness. In a couch adjacent to them lay a girl, asleep.

"What's wrong with her?" Drea asked, looking at the girl who she assumed was Kairi. "That's not a normal sleep."

"The girl has lost her heart." The two turned as Maleficent entered the room. "She'll remain like that forever unless we can retrieve it." The witch didn't even look at Drea as she spoke.

"Her heart…" The girl repeated, clutching her chest as Riku stood. "Can she be fixed?" "We need the seven princesses." Riku answered sternly, his gaze fixed on Kairi. "We can use them to open the door to Kingdom Hearts - the heart of all worlds."

"And you think Kairi's heart is in there?" She asked, looking over at Riku.

"It has to be." Drea's gaze fell to the floor. Kingdom Hearts. It really didn't sound like something they should be tampering with, but..

"Do you know where the other Princesses are?" She asked, looking up to the Witch.

"We've found one more, the sixth one. I need your help getting her, though. She's guarded by a great beast." Riku looked to Drea with resolve. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Let's go then…"

Riku looked to Drea with a smile, creating a portal for the two of them. Drea took a deep breath, debating this once again in her mind before entering the portal. Maleficent smirked. Kids these days were so easy to manipulate..

The two teens found themselves at a gothic castle made of high stone. Gargoyles adorned the hallways, thick, blood red carpets ran the length of the floors, and the only light came from the moonlight shining through the large paned windows.

The princess, Belle, was located in a large ballroom, and, honestly, was rather easy to capture with Riku and the heartless distracting the beast. "No! Stay away!" The princess cried as the heartless circled her.

"Drea, go." Riku commanded. She kicked off the ground, darting to Belle as she attempted to flee.

"I don't want to hurt you.." Drea admitted, gripping the girl's arm. "Please don't struggle." Despite Drea's pleas, Belle jerked her arm from the mage's grip and vainly tried to escape to the balcony.

"Belle!" The beast roared, knocking Riku aside and charging at Drea. The mage spun on her heel and held her arms up, a barrier forming as the monster dove in the air. He hit the barrier face first and was repelled like two positive ends of magnets, sending him zinging across the ball room.

"Beast!" Belle turned in horror. "What did you do to him?" Drea stepped to the princess, her brows furrowed in uncertainty.

"I don't want to hurt you, Princess. Please…" Drea spoke as the heartless backed away from the girls. "His friend, Kairi.. She won't wake up with out your help…"

"You mean…" Belle gasped, stepping towards Drea. After a moment, she closed her eyes and sighed, "I understand."

"Thank you…" Drea smiled, opening a corridor of darkness. "Riku…" She turned to the boy, lowering her force field. He sliced once more at Beast and jumped back, putting distance between them. "Let's go…"

He nodded, leaving the beast in his pain as he lead Belle through the corridor. Drea looked back at the monster for a lingering moment before following the others, the portal closing behind her.

The familiar scent of home filled her nose and she breathed in heavily as Riku helped Belle into one of the crystal chambers lining the hall. "Just one more.." He spoke, making the girl turn to him.

"We'll find her in no time." Drea assured, making her way to Riku's side. She wrapped her arms around his arm, leaning her head against him. "We'll get Kairi's heart, no matter what."

Riku looked down at the girl and suddenly relaxed, a warm feeling flooding his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling the girl against his body. She closed her eyes, letting his darkness surround her. "C'mon." She reluctantly pulled away from him, "Let's go back to Kairi. Maybe Maleficent knows where the last princess is now."

She made a corridor of darkness and grabbed Riku's hand, pulling him through and back into the lavish room where Kairi lay asleep. "She looks so peaceful.." Drea thought as Riku went to Kairi's side.

It was then the room trembled, as if there had been a collision. A heartless crept into the room, looked to Riku momentarily, then left. "Come, Drea." He commanded, lifting Kairi tenderly. Drea ran over to the door Riku was heading for, and held it open for him.

She found they were on some sort of thing floating in the water. A ship, she thought, was what it was called. Riku led her to the front of the deck, setting Kairi against a large mast. Drea watched the girl for a moment before she heard Sora's voice, "Donald! Goofy!"

She ran to Riku's side, leaning on the rail overlooking the deck Sora was on. Two heartless held him captive, leading him towards the trio on the upper deck. "Where did you take Donald and Goofy?"

"Are they really the ones you need to worry about?" Riku spoke, gaining Sora's attention. Drea turned to the silver haired boy. She didn't like the look in his eye.

"Riku? Drea?" Sora cried, "What are you talking about?"

"You should be less concerned about Donald and Goofy, and more concerned about…" He moved, revealing Kairi, "..her."

"Kairi!" Sora yelled, pushing the heartless from him and rushing to the stairs. Riku glanced over to Drea and put a hand on her arm. She tensed, looking back at the boy as Hook stepped in Sora's path menacingly.

"Don't go to him, Drea." Riku commanded sternly. Drea lowered her hands to her sides, nodding compliantly to Riku.

"Riku, Drea!" Sora yelled up to the duo, "Why are you helping these people?"

"You've got it backwards, Sora. I'm not helping them. They're helping me." Sora's eyes widened as Riku raised his free arm into the air, "The heartless obey me. I have nothing to fear."

"You're stupid!" Sora screamed, balling his fists. "The darkness is going to eat away at your heart until you become a heartless."

"I don't have to worry about that, Sora." He narrowed his eyes, tiling his head condescendingly as he smirked down at his old friend. "That only happens to the weak."

"Riku.." Sora breathed, heavyhearted.

"Watch, Sora. This is the power of darkness!" Riku thrust his open palm at Sora, a gust of wind hitting the boy. Sora's shadow opened it's eyes, making Drea cover her mouth in horror.

The shadow rose from the ground, looking Sora square in the face. Sora's face paled in fear, "My- my shadow is?"

"Now, go join your friends." Riku dismissed, turning away as a trap door opened beneath Sora's feet.

"Sora!" Drea cried, leaning her full weight on the banister as her friend fell into the darkness.

"Set Sail!" Riku commanded, "Do not let Sora near Kairi until we arrive!" Drea watched him sadly as he lifted Kairi, "Keep to your posts. Don't laze around. I want looks outs posted." And with that, he led Drea underneath the ship.

The silence was heavy between them. Riku was busying himself with Kairi, leaving Drea to sit awkwardly on the chair nearby. After about five minutes, she looked up, "That was cruel, you know."

"What." He didn't look up from Kairi.

"He cares for Kairi, too.." She spoke, pushing her bangs from her vision. "I don't understand this.."

"You don't have to understand it." Riku spoke, looking away from Kairi. Their eyes met as he made his way to Drea. "Just stay with me." He cupped her face in his hands as she stood.

She closed her eyes, "I'm not going to leave…" Riku pulled her into a long hug. "I'll find a way to fix Kairi…" He stepped back, looking into her eyes.

"Thank you." Maleficent and Hook entered the room seconds later. "Maleficent." Riku turned to face the Witch, "Why are you here?" Hook didn't look too pleased.

"That girl, Wendy. She is not one of the princesses." The sorceress stated. "Our business is complete here."

"I see." Riku responded. "Let's go then, Drea." He commanded, making his way to Kairi. Just as the boy picked Kairi up, the floor opened on the other side of the room.

"Riku!" Sora cried, entering the room from the trap door. "Wait!" A corridor of darkness opened around Riku, enveloping him and the two girls in darkness as Sora ran towards them, his arm outstretched desperately.

Drea looked at him with guilt as the darkness closed in and Sora's Shadow heartless blocked Sora's path. She knew this was wrong, and she silently apologized to the boy, allowing the darkness to take her away.


	12. Holy Bananas!

"Riku!" Drea exclaimed as the boy shoved Kairi into her arms as he fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. "Are you alright?" She asked, cradling Kairi as she knelt, looking to the boy with concern.

"Not using a vessel to bring the girl here… You shouldn't rely so heavily on the darkness, my child." Maleficent spoke, looking down at the boy.

"I don't need your concern." Riku snapped to the witch, raising to his knees as a loud roar echoed through the halls of Hollow Bastion. Drea stood, shifting Kairi's weight. She knew that roar, and by the looks of it, Riku recognized it, too.

"He's been loitering around here, recently." The Witch spoke, "His will is strong, to get here even after his world was devoured."

"It disgusts me." Riku spat, standing up. Drea stepped back from him, clutching Kairi. "Drea," He turned to her, summoning a Wyvern. "leave Kairi to Maleficent and come with me."

Drea nodded, carefully setting Kairi on the heartless bird's back before trotting along behind Riku. "Wait.." She grabbed his arm as they entered the Chapel. He paused, turning to her. "I can feel your heart straining…" She whispered, setting her hands on his chest.

Her eyes closed as Riku allowed her to set her head on his chest. "You're in so much pain…" She whispered, stepping back from him. "Please, if not for you, then for me… Don't rely on the darkness so much.." She cupped his face in her hands, "I'm worried about you.."

"Save your concern for other things.." He suggested, pushing past her, "We have other things we need to worry about." Drea sighed before trotting along after him.

The Beast was waiting in the rising falls, where Drea and Riku first met. "Bring Belle back!" He roared as the two leapt to his rock.

Drea stayed close to Riku, "How did you get here?" The boy asked. "No help from the heartless, no ship to carry you."

"I simply believed." The beast answered, his hand over his heart. "I believe that I can save her from the darkness, and so I have come."

"Hmph, you believed?" Riku summoned his sword with a smirk. "You really think that just believing is enough to save her?"

"RIKU! STOP!" Drea looked up, seeing Sora running towards them as Riku swung at the beast, felling it with a single blow.

"So, you've come, Sora." Riku smirked, his sword disappearing in a flurry of black flames.

"Where's Kairi." Sora demanded, looking at his old friend. Drea stepped back. She didn't like where this was going…

"I've a gift for you, Sora." Riku ignored his statement, holding up his hand. Another black flame appeared, turning into a small wooden sword. He tossed it to Sora's feet. "It's a thank you gift."

"A thank you gift?" The keybearer repeated, narrowing his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"For coming all this way, just to deliver the keyblade." A smirk crept across Riku's face, chilling Sora to the bone. The silver haired boy held out his hand, the keyblade appearing in it.

"How..?" Sora gasped in shock, stepping back.

"It's simple." Riku laughed, "You can't tell me you haven't already sensed it, Sora. The vast gap between our powers. The stronger one of us should have the right to wield a weapon of this power. You were nothing but the delivery boy." At Riku's words, Sora fell back on his bottom, trying to understand what just happened.

"Sora!" Drea cried, starting towards him. Riku held his arm out, blocking her path. "….." She looked up to Riku, who was glaring at her over his shoulder. She gave up, lowering her arms to her side in defeat. Riku turned and walked towards the castle, Drea slowly trailing behind him.

"C'mon, Goofy." Donald commanded, following the two.

"Wait, Donald, what about Sora?" Goofy asked, looking down at the boy.

"You remember what His Majesty said. We have to stay with the keybearer." Donald reminded him, tapping his foot impatiently. Goofy sighed and hesitated before apologizing to Sora and leaving him.

"Hey! Slow down!" Donald yelled, trotting along in an attempt to catch up with the teens. "Drea!"

"You're the ones that chose to follow us." Riku snapped, "so you should be the ones to keep up." Drea looked to Riku with worry. His heart was in a lot of pain right now. The darkness was so violent within him right now that even she could feel it's pulsations.

"Do you need to rest?" She asked quietly, furrowing her brows.

"I'm fine." He barked, making her flinch. "Sora's coming after us, I can feel it." He clutched at his chest as they arrived at the Entrance Hall. "I need to separate them.." He muttered, creating a heartless that looked like Belle as Sora and Beast entered the room.

The heartless worked like a charm, and the beast was successfully sealed within a barrier of darkness, leaving Sora by himself. "You should have just went home, Sora." Riku descended the staircase, flanked by Donald and Goofy.

"Riku? What have you done?" Sora turned to him, an ungodly fury burning in his blue eyes.

"Don't you understand yet?" Riku sneered as Drea clutched her arms, staying at the top of the staircase. "This isn't like one of those stupid little adventure games we used to play on the island. This isn't a playground. Go home."

"I'm here to get Kairi." Sora spoke in a threatening tone, gripping his pathetic little toy sword.

"You want to be destroyed by the darkness?" Riku asked, raising his hand to Sora.

"I'm taking Kairi!" Sora repeated louder, a look of irritation crossing Riku's face.

"Don't make me laugh! You don't have that power!" He shot a blast of darkness at the boy.

"Sora!" Drea cried desperately, running down the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her. Just as the darkness neared, however, it was deflected by Goofy's shield.

"Goofy?" Donald screeched, "What are you doing?"

"You'd betray your king?" Riku snarled as Drea came to a halt facing the both of them.

"I'm not betrayin' His Majesty. And I'm not betrayin' Sora, either!" Goofy declared. "Tell the King I'm sorry, Donald!"

"Wait a minute!" The duck squawked. "We'll tell him together!" He ran to Sora's side.

"Guys…" Sora smiled softly before closing his eyes. "Riku, what you have… it's not power. True power lies in what causes you to care about someone… The Heart." Sora gripped his chest, his toy sword glowing. "As long as my friend think of me, our hearts will be connected." The sword shone brightly, making Drea cover her eyes in pain. "My friends are my power!" The light died back down, revealing the keyblade in Sora's hands.

"What good is your heart?" Riku yelled, drawing Soul Eater from the shadows. "What can it protect?" He brought his sword down, aiming to slice Sora open in one blow.

"Look out!" Drea cried, stepping in front of Sora to protect him. It all happened so fast, Riku couldn't have stopped it even if he tried. The sword connected, he felt something warm splash his face.

She hit the floor in shock, the burning sensation in her face blocking all use of her brain. She was in so much pain, but it wasn't registering. Her vision began to black out as Sora knelt over her, putting his hand over her right eye.

"Drea…?" Riku whispered, his sword disappearing into darkness. "Why did she…?"

"Drea, just hang on!" Sora cried as Donald used cure on her eye. "We're gonna fix you."

"Sora turned Drea against you."

Riku looked around frantically, searching for the speaker. "Just hang on.." Sora repeated, holding Drea's hand desperately as the blood gushed down the side of her face.

"You can win her back. You just need more power."

The boy turned away and clutched his chest. "More power…" He huffed, his heart aching. "How do I get more power?"

"Open your heart to the darkness. Walk bravely into the dark, abandon your confusion and your heart. Embrace the darkness!"

Sora looked up from Drea, who was quickly falling into shock, only to find Riku engulfed in a powerful darkness. The silver haired boy turned and looked over his shoulder before the darkness took him away.

"Sora…" Drea whispered, tears sliding down her uninjured eye. He gripped her hand tightly as Donald franticly cast another cure spell on it. The blood had stopped, but it would take a much stronger magic to heal a wound this deep.

"It's gonna be okay, Drea." Sora promised, "Donald stopped the bleeding, we just need to wrap you up."

"Where's Riku…?" Sora's eyes widened. She's concerned about Riku? Even after he did THIS to her? "He left, didn't he?" The boy nodded slowly, making her close her eye. "Don't fight him… Please… It's the darkness that's making him this way… I don't think he's… even conscious of it now.."

"Drea… I…"

"Go save him, Sora…" She commanded softly. "Kairi is in the grand hall above the Chapel. I'll be alright. Go save your friends…"

"Drea, I can't leave you." Sora refused.

"It's okay." A new voice spoke, getting Sora's attention. He turned, seeing a man in a black coat. "I'll take care of her."

"You can trust him, Sora." Drea smiled softly. "Just go…" Sora hesitated before letting go of Drea's hand.

"You'd better not hurt her!" He warned before drawing his keyblade and running off into the depths of the castle.

The man waited until Sora was some ways away before kneeling at Drea's side. "You're a pain, you know that?" He set a first aid kit on the ground beside him. "At least you aren't bleeding anymore."

"It's my fault.. I should have just listened to you and stayed with Sora." The pain had faded to a dull numbness by now as the man lifted the girl into a sitting position.

"Maybe you'll listen to me in the future, won't you?" He asked, opening the kit and pulling out some disinfectant spray. "This will sting." He warned, covering her good eye with his hand as he sprayed her.

"Ow." She winced, as he cleaned the wound. "I just don't understand how things got so hectic in a matter of days. I mean, a two months ago, I didn't know anyone outside of you, me and Maleficent existed, and now.."

"Things have a funny way of turning, don't they?" He asked, lifting her clumpy hair out of the way as he wrapped a long cloth bandage around her head, leaving her good eye exposed. "This'll take a while to heal, even with a body like yours."

"Thanks… really.." She smiled softly at him, her gaze downcast.

"Here, let me wash the blood from your hair." He reached into the kit, handing her a bottle of water. She stayed still while he wetted her hair, working the blood from the tangled mess. When he was finished, he packed his things and stood. "You'd better go to your friends. Sora can't do this alone."

"I don't know if I can.." Drea admitted, standing slowly. The man put his hand to her chin, forcing her to look up.

"You can. When you get scared, just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and count to three. You're stronger than you think," He smiled from under his hood. "Trust me on that one."

She looked at him with a new resolve and nodded, running off to find her friends.


	13. Kairi

"The Princesses of Heart have all been assembled.. Why isn't the Key Gate opening?" Maleficent growled, starting into the swirling portal in the Grand Hall. "Why?"

"Because the girl has lost her heart." She turned, seeing Riku making his way up the steps towards her. However, something seemed different about him. "That is the power of the crystallization of the Princesses."

"You.." Maleficent narrowed her eyes as Riku allowed Kairi, who he had been dragging along behind him, fall to the ground in a slump.

"The Key Gate leads to a darkness that will overflow this world when opened." He spoke, looking at the gate with an evil smile.

"That doesn't concern me." Maleficent closed her eyes condescendingly, "I'm simply going to harness the power to rule all the worlds. My heart cannot be touched by this darkness."

"Is that so?" Riku asked, drawing a dark key blade from the darkness. "We'll see about that." He scoffed, stabbing the witch through the heart. Diablo shrieked and flew from his master's shoulder as she disappeared into the shadows, consumed by her own darkness. "This key blade can open people's hearts. Release your darkness and become one with it!" A horrifying scream echoed through the castle as she vanished.

"Maleficent.. She's gone!" Riku turned, seeing Sora standing in the entranceway, an appalling look on his face.

"Oh, it's you." Riku sighed, lowering his blade.

"You.. You're not Riku.." Sora spoke, looking at the boy with concern. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ansem." Riku smirked, "Inquirer of Darkness."

"Ansem? You mean.. from the Ansem reports?" Donald squawked, feathers flying off of him.

"One and the same." Riku responded, scowling at the trio.

"I don't care who you are!" Sora yelled fiercely, "Give Riku back his heart!" The Riku-imposter held his hand out to Sora, stirring a tug at his heart.

"Then you return that heart, too." The imposter smiled sinisterly as Sora grabbed his chest.

"What do you..?" Sora stepped back.

"The princess needs her heart in order for the keyhole to be complete. If you return it, Kairi will wake up. Isn't that what you wanted?" Riku titled his head to the side, his eyes narrowed. Sora hesitated, looking down at his hands before looking back to Riku.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a girl's voice. "Don't do it!" The group turned, seeing Drea running past the Princesses. "Don't give in, Sora!"

"Drea?" Sora exclaimed as she kicked off from the ground with a gust of wind, landing between Sora and Riku.

"You again…" Riku-imposter growled, gripping his dark keyblade. "I thought I got rid of you!" He swung the sword, a wave of dark aura arcing towards the two. Drea stood firm, the aura dissipating as it neared her. "What?" Ansem growled.

The girl turned, looking angry. "Sora." She spoke, not breaking eye contact with the Riku Imposter. "Seal the keyhole.. Ansem won't interfere."

"It won't work." Ansem spoke as Sora lifted his keyblade to the gate, but nothing happened. "The gate isn't complete. If you don't seal it, the world will be over run, but in order to complete it, Sora must give up his heart… What to do…?" Ansem-Riku asked, feigning concern. "This keyblade has the power to fix all of this.." He looked to the blade before tossing it carelessly to Sora's feet.

"Sora, don't." Drea urged, licking her lips. "We can find another-"

"There isn't any alternative, Drea." Sora cut her off, picking up the dark keyblade. "I have to do this. Just promise me you'll protect Kairi, okay?"

"Sora!" Donald exclaimed as the boy plunged the keyblade into his own heart. His body began to glow, eight orbs of light floating into the air. Seven of the orbs returned to the seven princesses, and the eighth vanished.

Kairi's eyes fluttered open and she sat up as Sora began to fall. "Sora?" She whispered, her eyes locking on him. "SORA!" The girl rushed over in an attempt to catch him, but his body vanished into the light. "Sora.." Kairi closed her eyes, hugging herself. "I can still feel you…"

"So, the last princess has awakened." The group turned, seeing a tall, dark man with white hair standing in Riku's place, "However, now that the keyhole has been completed, I have no use for you, my dear. Now, if you would kindly disappear!" Drea launched herself at Kairi as Ansem sent a blast of darkness at the princess.

Drea wrapped her arms around the girl, tackling her out of the way of the blast. "Are you okay?" Drea asked, breathing heavily as she looked down at the girl.

"Y-yeah." Kairi nodded, getting a grin from Drea.

"Okay." She nodded, "We'll go find Sora just as soon as I finish up here."

"Can you do it?" Donald whispered as Drea calmly walked towards them.

"I can do it, because he has to be defeated. Simple as that." She said, quoting Sora. "You two look after Kairi." Ansem looked to the girl with a laugh as she clenched her fists, fire swirling around them.

"You think you stand a chance? Give up now, girl. There's no-" "Don't think you can just use me like that…" Ansem stumbled backwards, a bright light shining from his chest. "I won't allow it!"

"Riku?" Drea breathed, lowering her hands.

"Drea." Riku's voice spoke. "You have to run. The heartless are coming. You'll be killed. Please, take Kairi and run!" She stepped backward, the fire swirling around her arms dying down.

"Riku, I-"

"I'm so sorry for everything, Drea. Thank you for keeping your faith in me…" Drea shuffled backwards, her breath caught in her throat, before she nodded with resolution.

"Let's go, you three!" She turned, grabbing Kairi's hand. "Back to the ship. We have to leave Hollow Bastion."


	14. Dive into the Heart

Donald was thankful that Drea was in the lead because the darkness was getting so thick, he could barely see. Drea seemed to know where she was going, though, so he opted it was best to just follow her.

"What's going to happen to this world?" Kairi asked, running behind Drea.

"It's probably going to get swallowed by the darkness." The mage answered sadly, running down the steps of the entrance hall. "Just like all the others."

"Can't we stop it?" Kairi asked, slowing to a stop. Drea turned, stopping as well.

"We'd need Sora to close the keyhole." The mage answered, "But…" She looked away, noticing a heartless, "Kairi, look out!" she leapt to the Princess's defense, putting herself between Kairi and the Shadow.

"Drea, wait.." Kairi spoke, going past Drea to the Heartless. "Could it be… Sora?"

"Sora?" Goofy repeated.

"No way.." Donald squawked.

"Did you hit your head or something, Kairi?" Drea asked.

"I know it sounds silly, but something's telling me this is Sora…" She knelt in front of the heartless, "Right?" She looked at the creature, wrapping her arms around it. "You came back for me…" The girl began to cry.

The heartless's eyes began to glow and a bright light filled the room, causing the others to shield their eyes. "Thank you, Kairi…" The light faded away, revealing Sora. "With out you, I would have lost my heart for sure."

"I hate to interrupt your heartfelt reunion, guys, but, we really need to either seal the keyhole or get out of here." Drea announced as a group of heartless closed in.

"Drea. I'm trusting you've got my back?" Sora smirked, drawing his keyblade. She returned the smile, getting into stance.

"You bet."

"Beast!" The monster turned, spotting his beloved Princess. "The darkness is pouring from the keyhole.. We worked hard to keep it back thus far, but… If the keybearer doesn't seal the keyhole soon, this world is doomed."

"The keybearer is…" Beast sighed, looking to the ground.

"..Right here." At the sound of Sora's voice, the princesses looked up with hope. "Sorry I'm late. There's no way I can let that guy get away with this."

"Sora! You've arrived!" Alice cheered, "See, everyone? This is the keyblade's brave warrior!"

"We'll leave it to you then, Sora." Cinderella nodded, "You must seal the key hole quickly, before something terrible-" Just as she mentioned it, from the keyhole there came a gigantic purple heartless.

"A behemoth?" Drea exclaimed, stepping backwards. "I've never actually seen one of these up close…"

"You know what that thing is?" Sora asked, looking over at the girl, his sword at the ready.

"Yeah, but you're not gonna like my answer…" A behemoth was one of the strongest types of heartless out there. "…J-just aim for that horn on it's head, and pray for luck."

"HEY! THIS ISNT YOUR HOME, HEARTLESS!" The group turned in time for a huge blast of energy to sail dangerously between Sora and Drea before hitting the heartless, killing it instantly. "Hahaha! The Beauty-saving Hero, Cid, has arrived!"

"Cid! Aerith! Yuffie! Leon!" Sora exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"There's no time to talk." Leon shouted, "Sora, seal the keyhole! Quickly!"

"R-right!" The boy pointed his blade at the swirling mass of darkness. A beam of light extended into the keyhole and a relieving Click! was heard.

"You did well, Sora." Leon praised, patting the kid on the back.

"It was only thanks to the princesses holding back the darkness that we made it in time." He admitted. "So, why's everyone here?"

"Cid brought us." Yuffie informed.

"This is our home world." Leon continued, "Before, when the world was first being attacked, everyone thought Ansem died trying to protect us from the heartless… However, the reality was that he was the one that called the darkness to the world."

"Here, we found the rest of the report." Aerith handed a bundle of papers to Sora. "If we would have had these sooner, we would have been able to see his true intentions.." Sora leafed through the pages as she continued, "He lost his heart and his body to the darkness.."

"That's why Riku's body was used?" Sora asked angrily, accidentally crumpling the papers in his fist. "Where did that coward run off to?"

"Um, I can find him." Drea spoke up. "If the princesses don't mind helping me. I would never forget how pure his darkness is…" She looked to the princesses, "Would you give me your power?"

The group stared into the green depths of the rune stone as Drea and the princesses joined hands in a circle around them. Drea closed her eye, breathing in slow, deliberate breaths. In, out, in, out.

"Per mihi via est ad urbem flebilis; Per mihi via est ut eternus flebilis; Per mihi via inter populus lost." She breathed, the rune stirring to life. "Justicia instigatus meus sublimis Sator; Partum mihi divinus Omnipotens, altissimus Sapientia quod primal Diligo." She felt Sora's grip tighten on her hand. "Pro mihi illic erant haud partum res, Tantum eternus, quod EGO eternus permaneo." A magical wind picked up, spewing forth from the rune and blowing their hair and clothes upwards. "Totus spes relinquo ye quisnam penetro in!"

As her mind slipped away into the universe, the room began to fade away. The group stood in space, cosmos and galaxies flying past them as she spanned the whole of space. She quickly picked up his trail, the room shifting to show every world Ansem had visited recently, finally resting on one world. It zoomed in until Ansem was clearly seen at the threshold of a pair of large, white doors.

He turned, looking into space, pushing Drea from his mind. The force of his expulsion hit Drea hard, shattering the spell and sending her flying back into the wall.

"Drea?" Sora ran over to the girl, helping her to her feet. "You okay?"

"He's challenging us."


	15. Beyond the Door

_"We won't be able to see each other?" Sora asked, his eyebrows raising with concern. "You mean, this is…?"_

_"We may not meet again, but we will never forget you.." Leon promised. "Our hearts will keep us connected."_

"You okay, Sora?" Drea asked, sitting on the arm of his chair as he stared down at the thalassa shell charm Kairi gave him when they departed. "You've been quiet this whole time."

"I'm just thinking…" He answered, clutching the charm tenderly. "I can't wait to get a hold of Ansem. Then we'll all go home. Me, Kairi, Riku… and you." He looked up to the girl, who's expression softened.

A home?

"I can't wait, either."

"Hey, there it is!" Goofy exclaimed, getting their attention. When they spotted the world, Drea's lips parted softly.

"It's ominously beautiful…" She whispered, clutching the fabric of her shorts as Donald landed the gummi ship.

"What is this place?" Goofy asked as they ventured into the world. He had his shield raised defensively.

"It's where all the dead worlds go." Drea answered, stepping out onto the vast lake in front of them.

"Like, a World Graveyard?" Sora asked, trusting the girl's footing and following her. She nodded, "So all these islands.." Sora's blue eyes scanned the area, losing count of all the islands dotting the horizon.

"Ansem is most likely in the most dangerous place." Drea spoke, closing her eyes. She inhaled, concentrating on finding Riku's heart. "I've found him…" She lifted her hand, opening a corridor of darkness. "You boys ready?"

"Let's end this." Sora nodded, leading the way. As he crossed through, the boy gasped. "It's.. my island…"

"This isn't real, Sora.. Remember that.." Drea put her hand on Sora's shoulder, "I bet it's just a trick.."

"This world has been connected." The group raised their guard, scanning the area for Ansem. "And, connected to the darkness, it will soon lose its light." As he spoke, the sea blackened to nothing and the sand began to break away. "You saw it, but you didn't know what you had seen. And those who do not know it would not understand."

Sora whipped around, seeing Riku standing on the edge of the world, his back turned to them. "Look at this tiny world. To him, it was nothing more than a prison. That's why, seeking a new world, opened his heart to the darkness." Riku turned, changing into Ansem.

"RIKU!" Sora cried, making Drea turn around.

"It's useless." Ansem laughed, "He has already been consumed completely. Swallowed by the darkness." The world began to crumble around them. "If you want to unlock Kingdom Hearts, you need a heart that's purer than the rest. This world has seven hearts that are the most pure of them all. With their help, the keyblade could unlock the door to infinite darkness!"

"SORA!" Drea screeched as Ansem, fused into the body of a gigantic heartless, slowly rose from the nothingness beneath them until he was between them and the only island of something in the darkness.

"EVERY HEART MUST RETURN TO THE DARKNESS FROM WHENCE IT CAME!" Ansem roared. The enormous door on the island behind him creaked as he cried out, "KINGDOM HEARTS!" Ansem held his hands to the door as they began to shift open. "FILL ME WITH THE DARKNESS!"

"Sora, you have to close that door!" Drea commanded, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Forget it!" Ansem laughed, "There's no way your keyblade could close that door alone. You are all meant to return to darkness." From the door, tentacles of emptiness wrapped around the group.

"Kyyaaaaaaaa!" Drea screamed, writhing furiously in an attempt to break free. Sora slashed at the tendrils of darkness, fighting them off of himself.

"You're wrong, Ansem!" He cried, "This isn't darkness! Hearts are weak, and sometimes they lose their way." He paused, thinking of Riku, "But even in the deepest of darkness, there is always light! And that light will ALWAYS TRIUMPH!"

The door to Kingdom Hearts opened further, revealing a celestial light. It bathed Ansem and the heroes in it's warmth. Drea closed her eye, an immense happiness over taking her.

"That was close…" Drea's eye fluttered open. She found herself being carried. "We almost lost you to the light.."

"Where…" She muttered, her vision focusing. He was carrying her piggy back. "It's you.."

"Sound a bit more grateful, jeez. I just saved your life." He complained, hoisting her weight up to rest more comfortably on his back. "And lay off the ice cream. It's not good for a girl to be this heavy."

"Sorry.." She laughed, "Thanks for saving me… But, where's Sora and the others? And where am I?"

"Sora should be at the door to light right now. You, however, are Home."

"This isn't Hollow Bastion."

"No, your True home…." He answered. "Drea, welcome to The World That Never Was, home to those who don't exist."

"It won't budge." Sora shook his head.

"Don't give up!" Sora gasped, hearing Riku's voice. "Come on. We can move this thing." He stepped back to see if Riku really was there. Their eyes met and he smiled. "Let's do this together."

"Yeah." Sora nodded, placing his hands on the door and pushing with all his might.

"Riku! Look out!" Goofy hollered, "There's a ton o' heartless behind ya!" But no sooner than the words left his mouth, the heartless vanished in clouds of light.

"C'mon, Sora!" The second person behind the door cheered, "let's close this door for good!"

"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed simultaneously.

"King Mickey…" Sora whispered, "But- But what about you two? What's going to happen?"

"Don't worry, Sora. There will always be a door to the light." King Mickey promised, raising his keyblade to the door.

"Sora!" Riku called as the door began to move. "You'd better take care of Drea until I can get back to her. You hear?"

"How do you know you can get out of there?"

Riku's gaze fell as the doors creaked to a close. He clutched his heart as Mickey locked the door from their side, "I'll find a way back to you, Drea. Just hang on."

Sora lowered his keyblade, the usual CLICK from the door assuring the group that it was locked. "So that's it then…" Sora turned, seeing Kairi at the edge of the land as the door vanished into the light.

"Kairi!" He, Donald and Goofy ran over to the girl. "Remember what you said?" He grabbed her hand as the worlds began to break apart. "I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"

"I know you will!"


End file.
